Fairfax to publish 'as usual' after staff walkout in response to job cuts

Fairfax Media says it is "disappointed" journalists from three of its mastheads have voted to strike for a week in response to job cuts, but will continue to publish its newspapers as usual.

Journalists from the Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and The Australian Financial Review today voted to strike for a full week after Fairfax announced cuts to around a quarter of its newsroom staff.

The strike includes coverage of next Tuesday's federal budget.

"We are taking this action today because we are shocked and appalled at the decision that management has taken," Herald journalist Sean Nicholls said in Sydney.

"The scale of these cuts is unprecedented in Fairfax history."

Staff at The Age in Melbourne walk out in protest. (AAP Image/Joe Castro) ()

Fairfax Media this afternoon issued a statement saying it would continue to publish across print and digital "as usual".

"We are disappointed in the decision by some of our masthead journalists to take unprotected industrial action for seven days after a month-long consultation period about necessary changes in our Metro Media business. But it is not the first time we have had industrial action," a spokesperson said.